Kia Soul and Seltos side airbags may deploy unexpectedly
critical How serious is it? About this label
This is the most urgent kind of defect, because an airbag can fire with no warning and cause injury or a crash; the notice does not say to park the car, but do not put this off.
What's wrong, in plain English
A mistake during manufacturing means the curtain airbags — the ones that drop down along the side windows — could go off on their own, with no crash and no warning. An airbag that fires when you are not expecting it can injure whoever is sitting there, and the shock can make the driver lose control. A dealer will inspect both curtain airbag units and replace them if needed, at no cost.
What you should do
2. Contact your Kia dealer or Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542 (recall SC289) and ask for the earliest appointment.
3. Have both side curtain airbag modules inspected and replaced if needed — free of charge.
Affected vehicles (2)
Who to contact
Kia — official Kia recall lookup
Customer service: 1-800-333-4542
The bigger picture
- Which Kia airbag recalls affect your car, and how serious? · all 8 Kia recalls in this area
Official notice
- Component
- AIR BAGS
- Summary
- Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Soul and 2024 Seltos vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, the side curtain air bags may deploy unexpectedly.
- Safety risk
- An air bag that deploys unexpectedly can increase the risk of injury or crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and replace both side curtain air bag modules as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 31, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC289.
Verify your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov. Recall repairs are free of charge by law.